


Late Bloomer

by Osomatsus



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Domestic, Earthbending & Earthbenders, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Galaxy Garrison, Holding Hands, Hugs, Kerberos Mission, M/M, Post-Kerberos Mission, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Reunions, SPOILERS BEECH GET OUTTA HERE IF U DONT WANT THIS, Season/Series 07, Spoilers, Stargazing, Students, antics, i love adam bye, return to earth, shiro is gay its canon bye, the gay shit - Freeform, you know whats up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 20:59:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15373203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Osomatsus/pseuds/Osomatsus
Summary: “Seems almost like we’re destined to be together, huh?”A snort escaped Shiro’s throat and his finger flicked the switch. “I hope that doesn’t disappoint you too much.”Adam took a second to look back to Shiro, making eye contact before looking at the panel of controls in front of him, a smug, confident look on his face. “Not for a minute.”A WORLD IN WHICH I MAKE UP SHIRO AND ADAMS BACKSTORY BECAUSE ITS ONLY JULY HONEY





	Late Bloomer

Takashi Shirogane was a late bloomer.

 

 

 

“Alright, next up for the simulation,” Iverson droned, looking down to a clipboard after scanning the crowd of their faces. He always liked to try and put the name to the face. Sometimes he was right.

_Shirogane, Takashi._

He looked up and read off the name, knowing exactly who that was. He was accepted on a high rate. He was basically scouted right out of school personally by his assistant for his upcoming potential. “Shirogane, and,” he glanced back down.

_King, Adam._

That one would be tough. Iverson scanned the crowd of kids whilst calling out the name. “King,” once more he looked at the list just to check if there was another King. There wasn’t. “In the simulator you go, boys.

Both boys stepped up, Shirogane leading the way. His back was straight and his hair was tidy. King, on the other hand, was stoic, but looked more of a follower. His sandy hair only slightly different from his sun kissed skin. The boys climbed into the simulator after giving their instructor a firm salute.

 

Shiro looked over to Adam while sliding down into his own seat. “Well, My names Takashi Shirogane,” he started, and then rubbed his head, “Most people just call me Shiro, though.”

His partner looked at him, adjusting his glasses after being knocked askew by the seat belt now on his chest. “Adam King. An honor to meet you, Shiro.” He offered Shiro a kind smile, holding a hand out for a shake.

Shiro took it in his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “The pleasure is mine, too, Adam.”

Iverson’s voice came over the intercom, spewing instructions left and right at them. It was the first time anybody in their class stepped into the flight simulator. Luckily, they got to do it with a partner, but they didn’t get to select who they were with. Said partner was, as they were told no more than 20 minutes ago, their teammate throughout their education at the Galaxy Garrison.

Sudden, the intercom cut out, leaving Shiro and Adam in the simulator alone, again. Shiro was about to reach up for the switch to flick on the system when Adam suddenly spoke.

“Seems almost like we’re destined to be together, huh?”

A snort escaped Shiro’s throat and his finger flicked the switch. “I hope that doesn’t disappoint you too much.”

Adam took a second to look back to Shiro, making eye contact before looking at the panel of controls in front of him, a smug, confident look on his face. “Not for a minute.”

  


 

Shiro’s family always said he was late to the party.

Shiro never believed them.

 

 

 

The next year, Shiro and Adam requested to be roommates and were granted their wish almost instantly.

Every night they would play card games on the floor of their dorm and go through bottles upon bottles of water. Sometimes, they liked to get elegant and have plastic wine glasses with grape juice. The two would put on sweatpants and baggy shirts with music playing in the background. Adam loved classic rock, Queen, Kiss, AC/DC, The Eagles being his particular favorite for reasons Shiro would never understand, and he always had it played. That was one of his quirks.

As the two spent their days together, Shiro learned that Adam had a lot of quirks. Adam _always_ writes with his right hand even though he is a left handed person. He says the smudged pencil is far worse than having to relearn how to write. That’s another quirk of Adam’s. He’s very meticulous and really a dictionary perfectionist.

Not to say Shiro doesn’t have quirks; he does. For example, Adam was the one who pointed out that Shiro will always eat one thing at a time during a meal, never mixing tastes. He’d always start with the fruit, and then once that was gone, he’d eat the main course. It was down to a subconscious science.

A quirk they had in common was that they both needed to have their things in certain places. This made it common pranking ground. Shiro would put one of Adam’s books in his sock drawer, and, in turn, Adam would hide Shiro’s flight manuel in one of the ceiling tiles.

Another thing that Shiro found odd was that Adam was extremely tall. His mother always told Shiro he was a late bloomer, but Adam had a good few inches on him.

 

 

 

Shiro’s mother was right.

He was a late bloomer for sure.

  


 

One night, in their fourth year, right before graduating from cadet to senior, the two had snuck up onto the roof after hours, a bag of necessities in tow. A comforter from the spare sheet set, several bottles of iced tea (which soon became their drink of choice after water got old), some smacks, and handheld telescope that Adam had brought from home on his first day at the Garrison. Together, they laid down the blanket on the cold roof and sat, dividing tea and snacks amongst each other.

“I see Ursa Major is out and about again,” Shiro started, getting a soft snort from the man beside him.

“As dazzling as ever, isn’t she?”

Shiro nodded to himself, leaning back on his arms. He set a bottle of tea in his lap and looked up to the sky, craning his neck to do so. “Next month, we’re moving on.” He mumbled, giving a side eye’d look to Adam, who was now turning his head to stare back at Shiro. “We won’t be flight partners anymore,” was the inevitable truth the two were slowly coming to understand.

A sigh escaped Adam’s nose, creating a gentle cloud in the cold air. “Doesn’t mean we’ll never see each other,” he added, trying to ease the tinge of pain that came with graduating. Moving on.

Most of the upperclassmen who stayed with the Garrison would tell their peers who glad they were when they finally escaped the losers in the cadets who were only there for the four years. They’d describe how relieving it was to see all those people go out and get jobs that were easier, that were made for people like _them_. Shiro always hated how some of the senior officers would refer to their previous peers like pests. Shiro liked his classmates. They were lovely most of the time.

“Are you staying with this?” Shiro asked, eyes trained on the stars littering the night sky. Adam looked up at well, searching for his answer.

“Yeah.”

A smile creeped onto both of their faces, eyes looked back to each other with a knowing glance.

 

Carefully, Adam leaned back onto his own hands. Shiro’s eyes were once again exploring the sky. Given the opportunity, the moment, with a gentle touch and delicate breathing, Adam reached over, his hand laying on top of Shiro’s.

When Shiro looked over to his friend, mouth open to ask a wordless question, the other was watching the sky through glasses that reflected the moonlight at just the right angle to display the deep blue of his eyes.

Shiro was _definitely_ a late bloomer.

 

He slowly sat up, hand rotating to hold Adam’s in his own. The tug on his arm made Adam return upright as well, looking not at Shiro but at his hand. He closed, reopened, closed his mouth again in an attempt to formulate words.

Finally, a whisper escaped his lips. “I’m glad you’re staying with me.”

Simultaneously, they shifted their bodies so they were facing one another instead of the desert plains.

“I’m glad, too,” Adam replied, voice just as hushed and twenty times gentler than Shiro had ever heard it before. It brought a warming smile to his lips and a dull heat to his cheeks. “I want to stay with you…” his words fell off as if he was going to finish with something else, possibly a name.

“Adam,” Shiro began, free hand inching its way up to cup onto Adam’s cheek. He leaned in, head tilting ever so slightly as to anticipate the angle at which they’ll connect. Luckily, he is sure they will connect in the middle as Adam leans into him, too.

In a burst of electricity, their lips connect. It’s every Shiro could’ve asked for and more. He revels in the feeling of Adam’s glasses on his skin, noses delicately pressed against cheeks and fingers intertwining. The release is far too soon, but by now they are both tired, breath a little off beat from the energy thrown into their kiss.

They leave the roof that night with their hands together, and each other’s names in their heads.

  


 

The summer after they graduate is when Shiro truly grows. He sees Adam a few times, and each time he gets a little taller.

Shiro’s blooming has finally come.

 

 

 

He and Adam get an apartment together rather than living on Garrison property like some of the other instructors do. Together they go grocery shopping, commute, and make suppers. They have a two bedroom apartment, because they weren’t sure sharing a bed was the best idea yet. More often than not, they find they are falling asleep at each other’s side in one room or the other anyway.

They arrived on the campus, walking to the staff room together, getting a to-go cup of coffee from the crummy machine that was older than them, and then parting ways at the door. They never parted with a kiss for the sake of keeping their relationship private. Nobody knew about it except their family and close friends.

It was better kept under wraps whether they liked it or not, much to their frustration.

 

That is, until in early January, right after New Years, did they both get called into Iverson’s office.

“Do you two want to tell me what’s going on, or do I have to tell you?”

Adam’s gaze was downcast while Shiro’s was upward. That was how it worked now that Adam was the shorter of the two (even if it was only by an inch and a half). “Sir, we apologize,” Shiro murmured, eyes flickering over to their commander.

“No need to be sorry,” he replied, waving a hand to invite them to sit instead, “There’s nothing wrong with you two having a relationship, but there is a problem when you don’t disclose it on official paperwork. The Galaxy Garrison cannot, and will not, discriminate over same sex relationships. So long as you don’t flaunt it in the wrong place at the wrong time, there’s no issues.” Iverson sighed, pulling out a sheet from his desk and sliding it in front of the men. “It’s just a precautionary measure. Human Resources needs to know if staff members are together.”

Without a question, the two signed the document stating they were, indeed, together, and looked at each other before Iverson.

“However,” he began, making Shiro reel back a bit, “If you have disorderly conduct on my campus, both of you will be terminated. And I can only hope you know what that means, correct?”

The knowing look on Adam’s face made Shiro grin, shouldering trembling with a desire to laugh. Iverson’s repetition of his question made both of them jump to their feet with a salute.

The conversation ended with a few thank yous, a couple of handshakes, and a quick story of how they got together. And that, due to breaking the rules, was followed by a lighthearted scolding.

  


 

Shiro and Adam were definitely flourishing.

  


 

They lasted a few years together, got engaged, and then got air of the Kerberos mission.

The first person who volunteered was Shiro.

Adam hated that.

Not many people knew about Shiro’s condition. But the staff did. They had documentation on his medical status for the past 7 years. They knew good and well that Shiro was nearing the end of his prime soon. Soon he’d begin deteriorating, melting like an ice cream cone in June heat.

They accepted him anyway.

 

Shiro hates to think about the rest.

  


 

His blossom closed back up into a bud.

  


 

The decision that they were going to return to earth set a fire inside Shiro’s chest. It excited the entire group of humans. They were all thrilled. They were all thrilled for the same reason: seeing their loved ones. Shiro couldn’t say he was excited for a different reason.

Ever since he was captured by the Galra, he remembered Adam’s words like a broken record in his head, _This is more than a mission, this is your life at stake._

Oh, how right Adam was.

Shiro died for crying out loud.

Adam was always right, he was right then, and he was right now. Shiro sometimes regrets not listening to him. Then he reminds himself that he is one of the reasons the universe is where it is today. He did that. Him and his weird, robotic lion, and his amazing team did that. And Shiro could not be anymore thankful that he made the decision he did.

 

When they returned to earth, there was media everywhere. Word spread like wildfire once Sam got back, so the paladins had no idea why they weren’t expecting what they got. Press coverage was surrounding them. Families with children were watching. Sam and Colleen were there, Pidge running toward them in a violent collision of tears and joy.

Lance and Hunk burst through the crowds to their own families. Keith remained with his mother, his family, beside Allura, Coran, and Romelle. Shiro stood a little askew from the rest before taking charge as the leader. He heard the voices trying to get names out of the paladins. Shiro argued with them that he wanted to talk to Commander Iverson. They let him through.

On his way to the entrance of the Galaxy Garrison, which was in shambles now, he heard a voice call out his name. Not Shiro. “Takashi?”

It was like a reflex to turn to that name, see who was calling him.

In the dust Shiro has just kicked up, Adam stood with his hands in his pockets and his eyes wider than the oceans.

 

Instantly, the two were running for each other, their collision sending them hurling to the ground. They were breathless as they sat up. They shifted to face either other, hands finding one another for security. A moment passed over where they just stared at each other, baffled.

The silence was broken with a shaky, hesitant voice. “I want to stay with you…” a pause came in, and then a choked “Takashi,” was tagged onto the end.

Shiro’s eyes welled up and his hand cupped Adam’s cheek. The spark Shiro felt on the rooftop that night came back in full surge when they kissed again. Hands let go and began grabbing onto each other’s faces, necks, shoulders, arms, anything they could use to stabilize themselves. It was needy, passionate, and grieved. Tears slid down cheeks and “Thank god you’re okay”s slipped out between breaks.

When they finally did break away, Adam looked Shiro up and down. “You’ve changed so much, Takashi.” His hand was rested on the metal of Shiro’s new arm, eyes looking over and over his face.

“You too,” he said, eyeing Adam in the same way. His hair was longer, not by much, but enough to be noticed. He clearly had gotten new glasses since Shiro had left, and his shoulders were much more broad than they used to be.

They met in a huge, Shiro’s face pressed into the crook of Adam’s neck. Together, they settled on their knees in this hug, living in the quiet of the moment. It wasn’t until they heard voices behind them that the two split.

Shiro’s hand wrapped around the more toned biceps, giving them a squeeze. He looked over Adam again to make sure it really _was_ him. It was. The deep blue eyes he’d come to admire hadn’t changed a bit, and he let them tell him everything.

The voices grew louder, closer, and much more recognizable as the voices of his team to Shiro.

He was about to rise to his feet when he was stopped by Adam.

“I’m glad you went, Takashi.”

“I’m glad I came back, Adam.”

  


 

Sure, Takashi Shirogane was a late bloomer, but when he did blossom, he was beautiful.

And when he did bloom, Adam was always right there to break out with him.

**Author's Note:**

> god i love adam so much  
> if u hate him dont talk to me its illegal 
> 
> you bet ur ass i wrote this in one sitting  
> and you bet ur ASS i didnt proofread it  
> and you bET your ASS that i am in such an excited rush to post this that im crying on my computer right now in joy that adam exists
> 
> talk to me about adam
> 
> i wanna rp shadam
> 
>  
> 
> bye thanks for reading <3
> 
> ps its nice to write something that isnt my group chat fic BUT ITS ALSO HELL BECAUSE I FORGOT HOW TO WRITE PROPER "LITERATURE"


End file.
